Being mindful of the moment

I am learning the importance of being in the present moment my time here in Ko Phangan. Too many times I catch my mind drifting off into thoughts totally irrevelant to my time here in Thailand. Often I will be in yoga class, snorkeling, hiking, etc and find that I am not mindful and in the present moment. My body may be where it is at that moment, but my mind is elsewhere, lost in random thoughts or making plans for something in the future. At these moments I must bring myself back to the present moment and experience everything in my immediate surroundings. In addition to following my breath and feeling my feet and legs solidly connected with the earth, or the water if I am snorkeling, I like to take in all the sights, sounds, colors, smells, sensations, and other various sensory information in my environment. While riding my motorbike in the jungle through the mtns or along the coastline with the incredible bluish-green ocean to the side, I need to remind myself that I won't be staying in such a beautiful place forever. Having my mind and consciousness totally in the moment is one of the best ways to appreciate where I am at.

I had been dreaming of coming to Thailand and Asia for many yrs and it seems like such a waste during my short time here to be lost in random miscellaneous thoughts having no bearing on my life in Thailand or in general. Fortunately I am aware of the minds tendency to drift off in thoughts and into other irrevelant places. I do my best to bring myself back to the moment and attempt to control and guide my mind. The practice of yoga has been really helpful in staying with my body and breath and expanding my awareness. However, even during yoga I must remind myself to come back to what I am doing when I observe my mind trailing off. I look forward to taking part in a 10 day Vipassana meditation retreat in the coming months. This kind of retreat will be highly beneficial in deepening my practice of mindfulness and meditation. I have talked with several people at Agama who have completed 10 day Vipassana retreats and they have found it to be amazingly therapeutic and beneficial for the quality of their lives. There will definetely be much that comes up for me on all levels of my mind. However I believe it will provide a great opportunity to deal with negative emotions and thought patterns as they come up and gain a greater grasp on them.